


Food is the Heart of the Home

by Naeshira



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Comfort Food, Food, Gen, Recipes, frienship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-03-22 00:16:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3708263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naeshira/pseuds/Naeshira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The way to a person's heart is through their stomach. This rings true for the Samwell Men's Hockey team too. Sometimes it's the best way to show that they care. (Recipes included in each chapter.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Holster

**Acetal.** The product formed by the successive condensation of two alcohols with a single aldehyde.  
**Actin.** A protein found in combination with myosin in muscle and also found as filaments constituting an important part of the cytoskeleton in many eukaryotic cells.  
**Adipocyte.** A specialized cell that functions as a storage depot for lipid.

Ransom knows how he gets around finals. Finals are not a good time for him. According to Holster he’s a coral reef, but Ransom thinks that’s a bit extreme. It’s just that when people interrupt him he loses all track of what he’s studying and cries.  
Ransom forgets the time when he’s studying too, and he’ll lose hours at a time, only vaguely aware that he’s at the library or up in the attic. 

**Catabolism.** That part of metabolism that is concerned with degradation reactions.  
**Catenation.** The linking of molecules without any direct covalent bonding between them, as when two circular DNA molecules interlock like the links in a chain.  
**Cistron.** A genetic unit that encodes a single polypeptide chain.

Flash cards are Ransom’s friends when it comes to studying terms. His professor this semester loves multiple choice questions. Ransom hyperventilates at multiple choice questions. There’s only a 25% chance to get it right, and the odds are against you. Essays at least he can bullshit a correct answer.

 **Ecdysone.** A hormone that stimulates the molting process in insects.  
**Endonuclease.** An enzyme that … 

… Food?  
A smell breaks Ransom out of his study state. Sitting on the edge of the desk is a grilled cheese sandwich on a plate and a glass of water. Ransom’s stomach grumbles hungrily.  
The sandwich is almost cold; it’s been sitting there for a little while. But Ransom hasn’t eaten in… going on 6 hours now? He scarfs it down and it tastes like heaven. It’s not until he’s finished that he realizes there was bacon in it. He downs the water then, and sets the plate and glass back where they were. 

**Gluconeogenesis.** The production of sugars from nonsugar precursors such as lactate or amino acids. Applies more specifically to the production of free glucose by vertebrate livers.  
**Glycogenic.** Describing amino acids whose metabolism may lead to gluconeogenesis.  
**Glycolysis.** The catabolic conversion of glucose to pyruvate with the production of ATP.

Holster makes awesome sandwiches. Holster’s the best.

~

Holster’s Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:  
\- 4 (or more) slices of bacon  
\- 2 slices Cheddar or Swiss cheese  
\- 2 slices of bread (your choice).  
\- Butter

Directions:  
\- Build your sandwich.  
\- Fry your bacon until cooked (not crisp). Then layer bacon in sandwich.  
\- Heat 1 Tbls of butter in the skillet or grill,  
\- Butter one outside of the bread then place it in the grill, butter side down.  
\- Grill for 1 minute, and butter the other side of the sandwich.  
\- Flip and grill for another minute.  
\- Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter up!  
> (I literally just googled a list of biochem terms for Ransom's flashcards. That is sooo not my major.)  
> I hope you enjoyed!


	2. Shitty

Some days, Shitty wishes he could do more. He’s empathetic, and while it makes him great at learning and understanding the suffering of others, it doesn’t help him stop that pain. Sure, he can teach the new hockey bros about the nuances of sexuality and he can loudly call for an end to sexism and heteronormativity in the world of college sports, but this? All Shitty can do is sit outside the bathroom door and keep quiet while he listens to Jack’s shuddering sobs. He’d be in there if Jack hadn’t locked it from both sides. 

It’s almost an hour before Jack opens the door. He looks like he’s tried to clean himself up, but Shitty can see his red-rimmed eyes and the tremble in his hands. Jack looks exhausted, but they both know he’s not sleeping any more tonight. 

Shitty doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t ask if Jack’s alright, because he’s not, and he doesn’t want Jack to lie to him. So he stands, wiggling his legs to get the feeling back into his butt. Then he leads Jack down to the Haus kitchen. 

It may be Bitty’s domain during pie time, but right now Shitty owns the kitchen. He gently manhandles Jack into a chair and runs to grab the throw pillow from the couch. He sets it next to Jack and turns to the fridge. By the time he’s grabbed the milk and turned around, Jack has grabbed the pillow and tugged it to him, cuddling it like a stuffed animal. 

“Don’t let Bitty know you’ve been holding the couch pillow.” Shitty says quietly, grabbing down two Samwell mugs from the cabinet. “He’ll demand to disinfect your clothes.” 

It’s a lame joke, and Shitty knows it, but it breaks the quiet. He’s not that good with quiet. Maybe that’s why he’s become such good friends with people who are. Jack just “hmm”s and hugs the pillow tighter. 

Shitty pours out a generous amount of milk into a saucepan and sets it on the stovetop. He fiddles away, stirring the milk with a wooden spoon and adding vanilla and sugar. After he’s stuck a finger in the milk and decided that it’s warm enough, Shitty turns off the stove and pours it into the mugs. 

“Here. Drink up. You look like you’re behind.” Shitty says, and sits down next to Jack. It’s another lame joke, but he says it every time they do this. His grandmother used to say it too, every time she’d make him a mug of warm milk when he couldn’t sleep. It’s been years since Shitty’s grandmother has done it, but that doesn’t mean he can’t continue the tradition.

Jack uncurls a bit and reaches for the mug. A few sips later, he’s starting to look like himself again. He even cracks a smile at Shitty’s 3 am attempts at jokes. 

By the time they’ve finished their milk, the sky outside has lightened to a pre-dawn grey. Jack sets the pillow back onto the table and grabs the mugs, taking them to the sink to rinse them out. The dirty pan sits on the stove, but they ignore it. Bitty will complain about it tomorrow, but Shitty almost thinks Jack looks forward to that. 

Speaking of, “You don’t have 4 am checking practice, do you?” Shitty asks, glancing at the clock on the wall. 

Jack shakes his head. “No, Bittle’s doing better. I gave him a break for midterms.”

“Well, that’s considerate of you.” Shitty teases and Jack gives him a grin. 

They go quietly back up the stairs, well aware of their sleeping teammates in the Haus. Jack catches Shitty’s arm on the landing and pauses. Shitty waits, patiently. He doesn’t push. Not when Jack doesn’t need it. 

Jack smiles then. “Thank you, Shits.” 

And Shitty smiles back. “Anytime, brah.” 

He can’t help all the time, Shitty knows that. But he’s decided that he’ll be there whenever he’s needed. And he’s still smiling as he’s falling back into bed, sunrise finally streaking its way across the sky.

~

Shitty's Warm Vanilla Milk

Ingredients:  
\- Milk (soy and almond milks work too!)  
\- 1 capful of vanilla  
\- sugar to taste (one or two spoonfuls)

Directions:  
\- Pour milk into your favorite mug, to get just the right amount  
\- Transfer milk to a small saucepan and add vanilla and sugar  
\- Bring milk to a simmer, stirring often  
\- Pour milk carefully back into your mug  
\- Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a long time coming, sorry about that. I had many ideas on what Shitty could do, who he could cook for. (Anyone really, that's a great part about Shitty's character.) But I decided on Jack. And I decided on warm milk, cause that's a comfort of mine on nights when I'm too stressed and can't sleep. 
> 
> I guess this became a very personal chapter for me to write. I hope you guys enjoyed it!


	3. Ransom

“BRO.” Ransom bursts into the Haus kitchen, looking triumphant. 

Jack and Bitty are sitting together at the table, looking through Jack’s latest pictures of geese by Lake Quad. Jack gently sets his camera on the table, about to ask what’s going on, before he catches sight of what Ransom is holding. “Is that…” 

“Yes.” Ransom says, and reverently sets the box on the table. “Yes, it is.”

“Where did you even get these?” Jack leans over the box, his pictures forgotten entirely. 

“I knew you’d appreciate them. My mouth has been watering since I got them.” Ransom opens the box and the two stare at its contents for a moment. 

Bitty stands to look too, and remains confused. “Are those… are those donut holes?” 

“No, Bittle.” Jack shakes his head. “These are Timbits.” 

Holster is standing at the kitchen doorway. He shrugs at Bitty’s still confused look. “It’s a Canadian thing, Bits. I still say Dunkin’ Donuts is better.” 

Ransom snorts. “Blasphemy. Just for that, you don’t get any.” 

Jack grabs a chocolate one from the box and offers it to Bitty. “Try one.”

Bitty does, and then starts looking up donut hole recipes on this phone while Holster argues with Ransom about superior coffee chains. Jack just focuses on breaking his diet by savoring as many Timbits as he can.

~

Timbits

Directions:  
\- Go to Canada  
\- Find a Tim Hortons  
\- Buy Timbits?  
\- Yeah, can't help you much on this one... sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice, short chapter. Yeah. I tried Timbits for the first time when I went to Vancouver earlier this month. They're pretty good! I like Tim Hortons!  
> And, don't ask where Ransom got them, cause I don't know. Maybe his mother sent them in a care package. That sounds like a good explanation, lol.  
> Hope you guys enjoyed!


End file.
